everybody do your share.

Daily, I am amazed at Tatum's ability to destroy the living room in a matter of 10 seconds flat. If that, even. Seriously, such talent in that girl...
And it's not even that she's making a mess (initially) because she's playing with things. It's as if she can't start to play, until every toy, every book, every single thing is out of place and strewn around the room. Maybe there's a method to her madness, I don't know.

What I do know is that as fun as it is stepping on toys and books all day long, I do need a break from all of the excitement (ahem) come Tatum's bedtime. So, Josh and I have this new thing we've decided to start doing each night, as part of her bedtime routine...We have her clean up all of her toys and books. And she does it! And oh, girlfriend is good. I mean, see all those tidied toys pictured up top? She did that (basically) on her own.

Here's how it goes...

Me: (sitting on the floor, start to pick up a couple of books) Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere! Clean up, clean up, everybody do your share!
Tatum: (runs from whatever she is doing to start collecting all of her books)
Me: (continue singing, arrange books as she puts them in basket)
*Repeat cycle for toy basket + stuffed toy chair*

A friend said on Instagram that it's really good to start them doing this young, and that she did with her son who is now 3, and he is awesome about always remembering to pick up his toys and things. Crossing my fingers that the same will hold true for T!

Does your toddler have "chores"?

little reader.

miss independent/wide open spaces/all i can think of are cheesy song titles.

We moved into a new place a couple of weeks ago. I don't even know if I've really mentioned that yet.

So, yeah, we moved.

The loft was really cool and fun while it lasted, but it wasn't really the best place for us to be. My biggest "issue" with leaving was how we would handle the lack of space. I'm not sure about the square footage of the loft, but the living area was huge, which meant Tatum had tons of room to run around and play.
I was pretty worried about moving into a smaller (and by smaller, I mean smallllerrrr) space and how she would handle it.
You guys, I seriously cried about it.
Mom guilt hits you in weird ways sometimes. Clearly.

Leave it to T to handle it like a total champ. (Thanks, dude!) She really doesn't even care. I should've known...She's always been really great at adapting, and change has never seemed to affect her in the slightest; this time was no different. (I know I sound like an annoying, braggy mom, but hey, I just give credit where it's due.)

I'm glad she still has that freedom to roam here.

She's such an independent little kid.
In that second picture, you can totally tell she's like, "Privacy please!"

her first birthday.

On November 16, this girl turned one year old.
First, she woke up from her nap to discover her presents set out in the middle of the living room, waiting for her.
(I decided to do the "Four Gift Rule" for her birthday. One thing they want, one thing they need, one thing to wear, and one thing to read.)
She got: her first doll (an adorable handmade one from HelloMango on Etsy), a new pair of shoes, her own little armchair, and a couple of books. (Clearly I cheated on the need..."She 'needs' her own place to sit!" Ha.)

If it isn't obvious from the pictures, the shoes were the biggest hit that day.

Later, after her second nap, we went to eat lunch together. Oddly enough, while we were eating was when she decided to throw her first real tantrum, and in public! Awesome. It was almost like she was saying, "I'm a toddler now! Get ready, guys!"
Luckily, it lasted for about two minutes and that was that. Phew.

We got birthday cupcakes from our favorite place for later that night, but when it came time to have them, Tatum wasn't interested at all. Oh, well! She did, however, have lots of fun playing with the balloons we'd blown up for our little celebration.

This year has been really incredible. I can't believe how much has changed, how much she has changed...how Josh and I have changed.
It's such an awesome thing to get to watch someone grow and learn every single thing...to watch someone become who they are. I am so grateful to have her in my life. I could never, will never take this position lightly or for granted.

T, you're the smartest girl I know. You're funny, clever, beautiful. You are every good thing, wrapped up in one tiny little package. You impress me daily and I couldn't imagine a life without you in it.

coffee-holic.

You know that saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure"? Well, Tatum would tell you that is the absolute truth. One of her favorite "toys" is my empty to-go coffee cups. She loves 'em. We're talking running through the house, screaming for joy, loves coffee cups.

Everyone says it, "She loved the box more than the present!" And it's so true.
Stuff like that makes me happy. It's the little things, guys.

Tatum Auden: 10 Months.

It's been awhile since I posted one of Tatum's monthly updates. I'm honestly not sure how long...4 months? She has been so hard to take pictures of the past few months, hence there being just one photo for this post. All she wants is to behind the camera or under my feet. So, that up there? Lucky shot.

Here's a quick rundown...

7 months --- First steps, two bottom teeth.
8 months --- Walking, sleeping in crib.
9 months --- Four upper teeth.

She's getting so smart and even more awesome. Josh and I were talking about her the other day and we both agreed that we love her even more these days, and we're not sure how that's even possible. She's just so funny!

The other day I was laying on the couch, reciting one of her books to her, and she went over to her book pile, picked it up, and brought it over to me. Personally, I'm choosing to think this was not a coincidence. She's pretty familiar with the book now. When I'm reading it she knows what part comes next...it's pretty cool.

She knows quite a few words now.
She's incredibly stubborn.
She loves all foods.
She's still very easy going.
She still doesn't sleep through the night.

Oh, and she's getting quite a bit of hair.

At her doctor appointment the other day she weighed in at 18 lbs. 9.5 oz. and measured at 29 + 1/4 inches.

I can't believe we only have two months left. TWO.
Pass the tissues.

on giving in for sanity's sake.

Lately there have been quite a few times where I've given in to Tatum's wishes for the sake of my sanity. I'm of the camp that thinks this is perfectly okay and actually quite important for one's mental health.

But (and this is KEY, people!) always make it seem like it was your idea.
Great parenting tip, right?

So, when Tatum wanted to get our friend Boyd's socks out of his clean laundry pile and play with them? I got them out for her and undid the rubber bands that kept them together. Then, I threw them all in the air and yelled, "SOCK PARTYYYY."

When Tatum was non-stop fussing, nothing was helping, and I just wanted to drink a dang cup of coffee? I said, "I have an idea! Let's watch an episode of Dora!" Gets her every time.

See, I'm still the boss, just more of a Michael Scott type at times. And what's so wrong with that?

mrs. clean.

I feel like this one will be the kid that doesn't want to get out of the bathtub. Ever. At least I can count on good hygiene?

she's phony, she's fake.

When I saw this picture after I took it, the first thing that came to mind was, "Little faker." Why? Because this is not, at all, an accurate depiction of my child. You might see this and think, "She's so calm + quiet, so cuddly!" You might think that...but you would be wrong.

That's not to say that she isn't still the cutest of all time.
Because she is.
She's just such a faker lately! I'll be honest, though, and say that I kind of love it / find it highly amusing.

In the past few weeks she's started fake crying + laughing. It's really obvious, too. Sure, the fake crying gets obnoxious after awhile, but at first it's kind of funny. How the heck do kids learn these little things? I mean, I get it, but still...
Gosh, I can only imagine what this kid is going to be like as a toddler. I feel like we might have our hands full with this little lady!

happy baby, happy flight.

Our flight to San Francisco was our third time flying with Tatum. The first two times, she was only 3 months old, so she basically just slept the entire flight. This time around she is 8 months old, so I was um, pretty much terrified about flying with her. I would love to be the person who just lets peoples' glares, stares, or snarky comments just roll off their back...but that's not me. I was so nervous that she would cry the entire time and everyone would be giving us those "If looks could kill" eyes.

So, I did everything I could think of to avoid this happening.

+ We thought it would be best to fly at a time when she would be most likely to sleep through the flight. Our first flight and layover, she was awake (fighting sleep towards the end), but really well-behaved (thankfully). Our second flight, she slept all but 45 minutes at the end, when she woke and decided it was time to entertain the plane. So thoughtful.

+ Fly Southwest Airlines. Seriously. Just do it! We almost didn't, but I happened to mention it to Josh right before we purchased tickets. He looked into it and they are so great, especially for families. You can check two bags (per person), a stroller, and a carseat...for free! Yay. Also, they don't have assigned seating, which we really loved. Families with kids under five get to board in the second group, so that makes getting to choose your seats pretty easy. We even had a free seat beside us on both flights. One guy almost sat by us, but when he saw we had a baby he bolted. Thanks, dude!

Most of these items probably seem pretty obvious, but I thought it would be nice to add anything and everything we packed. Sometimes even the best of us have that one little thing we can't seem to remember. 

Obviously if you're a breastfeeding mom, the bottles, brush, and formula won't apply to you. (Less packing, yay!) The first time we flew we just brought a regular container of formula. Boo to that. We never even use that in our day to day anymore. The to go packs are so much easier and way less messy, so they are the perfect choice for a flight.

We downloaded an episode of "Dora the Explorer" on Josh's phone before we left, just in case. Tatum doesn't really watch much tv. She just doesn't care. However, she does occasionally enjoy watching Dora for about two minutes. We figured it wouldn't hurt to download an episode to distract her if she got upset or bored.

We actually didn't bring T's birth certificate or immunization records either time, but when we were checking in we were told we might want to have her immunization records faxed to us. Obviously Tatum is a baby and doesn't look two years old, but she told us that if you get the wrong person you just might run into some trouble, so it's just best to have it on hand. 

You will probably need to tweak this list to suit your child, but I hope it can help even a little bit!

on growing up + independence.

I took these the morning we left for San Francisco (Saturday). Tatum was helping me pack by entertaining herself with eating her Plum Organics puffs and reading her new book, "Noodle Loves to Eat."

She loves those dang puffs.

Also: teeth. TEETH, you guys. She's had those two for a few weeks, but they are just now starting to look like full on, tiny human teeth. They kill me. Honestly, she barely looks (or acts) like a baby to me anymore, and I'm not always sure how to feel about that.

On one hand, I love the freedom that she has now; she can get her toys, feed herself (bottles and food), keep herself entertained. All of that is really neat for her + really helpful for me, of course. But at times I do feel a sadness that she doesn't necessarily need me to feed her, hold her, help her out. 

Although, it does make the times when she wants me to do those things, even better.

So that is how I try to look at it. 

When she was small(er), she had to have me around for everything. She didn't have a choice. Now she can choose, and when she chooses ME, that just might be the best feeling ever.

stuffin' her face.

Tatum has started to get really into food lately. To be honest, I haven't really had her on any sort of schedule with eating, but starting today we're going to get a lot more serious about her diet, preparing her for her transition to strictly solids in a few short months. I'm pretty sure she'll be totally fine with that. The girl loves to eat!

Last night for dinner she ate: chicken, potatoes, and blueberries. (No purees.)

I'm crossing my fingers that she'll be a good eater, like me. I cannot handle another beyond picky eater in my household. Seriously, I just won't do it.
So far, she has enjoyed everything she's eaten, except for peas and green beans in puree form. We haven't tried them in their normal state yet, so I'm interested to see if she'll take to them then.

It's fun to watch her try new things...The other day she had cherries for the first time and went bananas. (Ha.)

Having a baby can definitely be draining at times, but all the fun, happy, good stuff makes the tougher times totally bearable and worth it. She makes me want 50 more babies. (As long as they all have her temperament!)

{After dinner she took a quick bedtime bath and I'm just sharing this picture because, well, cute.}

thrifted children's books.

The one thing that I always search for when I go thrifting is children's books. I've found so many great
books for Tatum this way! (That's actually where the majority of her books have come from.) It's usually pretty hard to find (for me, at least) newer books, but I don't really mind, because I really love the artwork in most older / vintage children's books.

Since I'm unfamiliar with most of the titles that I see, my method of choosing goes a little something like this: "Oh, that book cover looks cute!"
Yep. All there is to it.

So far, I've liked all of the books we've found. I really hope that when Tatum is a bit older and understands more that she will love them and reading in general, just like her dear ol' mom.
I've always been a reader, ever since I was a little girl, so I'm crossing my fingers that she will love it too.

What's something you always search for, every thrifting trip?
Are you a reader? Are your children readers?

teething.

Teething is in full swing over in these parts.
For the past few days Tatum has had a runny/stuffy nose and Robin (Josh's mom) told us that that can be a sign of teeth coming in.
It could be coincidence, but I'm pretty sure she was right, and it is related.
Tonight we found that her two little bottom teeth are popping through.
I can't wait to see that toothy little smile.

In addition to the nose stuffiness, she was also in a terrible, sad, whiney mood today.
Obviously I get it.
I'd be pissed if I had teeth cutting my gums, too. Sorry, sister.

Baby bad mood = I need a brownie.
It's no homemade, straight from the oven goodness, but it'll do.
Love you, Debbie.
<3

watch me walk.

On the move, all the time.

Tatum Auden: 6 Months.

Height: 27 inches.

Weight: 15.5 lbs.

Head: 17 inches.

I like...

+ Doing my own thing. Can't hold me down!

+ Dora the Explorer. 

I don't like...

+ Being left alone. Even if I can still see Mom, Dad, or whoever is supposed to be hanging with me, if they're in a different room I am not a happy camper usually.

+ Diaper changes.

+ Getting dressed.

I can...

+ sit up on my own, put myself in a sitting position.

+ crawl on my knees.

+ pull to standing.

+ stand alone for a few seconds at a time (sometimes!).

+ walk along the furniture.

+ say: Mama, Dada, Baba, Nana. I don't know what they mean, but people seem to enjoy me talking.

I eat...

+ lots of different fruit/vegetable purees.

+ yogurt melts.

+ puffs.

+ starting self-feeding some foods (like steamed broccoli) today!

She is more + more awesome every single day.

a walk with my lady.

After Tatum's morning nap yesterday we went for a walk around our neighborhood. Initially, I had planned on it being a 3 mile walk, which would take about an hour. When that time came, I decided to do it for another hour. I walked about 5-6 miles. And seriously, it was so easy. I've gone on really small walks in the area before, but never covered as much territory, so it was pretty boring. I've also never brought Tatum along before, but from now on I definitely will. It honestly made the walk so much easier, fun, and the time went by SO fast.

If you're wanting to start exercising, but don't know where to start/feel overwhelmed, I would strongly recommend just going on walks. Obviously, I eventually would love to progress to running (no jogging stroller yet!), but for now this is totally good with me. Easy, effective workout!

I plan on doing this, along with doing Ripped In 30 at least one time, 5 days a week.

Interesting things we saw on our walk:

+ Two cats with litters of kittens. GIVE ME.
+ Some scary dogs that popped up out of nowhere! (From behind a fence, thankfully.)
+ Josh! This was so funny...He knew we were going out for a walk, but didn't know how long. He just assumed an hour. He accidentally fell asleep, and when he woke up and we weren't home he went driving around searching for us. Dork. Love him.

{No, she is not properly strapped in in this photo. I know this! If we were in the car, it would be much different.}

As you can see, Tatum was really exhausted at the end of our workout. Sister worked hard!

zoo day.

For Tatum's 6 month birthday we went to the zoo.
It was her very first time there, and to say that she didn't care is basically the biggest understatement of all time.
That's okay, though! Josh and I still had lots of fun.

My absolute favorite part was seeing the tamarins! I've seen them at zoos before, but never really noticed how adorable they are. In fact, when we were looking at them, I actually said, "You are the cutest things of all time!" And then, I looked down at Tatum and said, "Besides you, obviously."
But seriously...tamarins.

Oh, wait. Change of heart! I really loved the tamarins, but right after I typed that out, I remembered the giraffes. That was actually the best. For real the best. We bought some crackers to feed them, and that was super neat because Tatum got to feed one! Doesn't she look cute doing it? (Minus that whole tongue deal we've got going on these days. Maybe she was trying to be like her little {ha} giraffe friend.)

The worst parts of the zoo were the alligators and giant nasty koi fish (at least, I think they were koi?). You can see pictures of both of my traumatic experiences above. For starters, the alligators: They wouldn't have been so bad, except they were fighting over a dead white rabbit. Enough said. Secondly: Giant. Nasty. Fish. They have disgusting mouths. One had a wonky eye. Shudder.

Before we left we stopped by the gift shop to get something for Tatum as a keepsake. Turns out, the kid loves zoo memorabilia. Everything we showed her was hilarious. It was non-stop laughter the whole ten minutes we were in there. We decided on a monkey hand puppet. She still thinks he's funny, so that's good.

I miss the tamarins and their weird little faces.
Good thing we're going back in a few weeks when family visits!

P.S. That picture of T and Josh is my new favorite ever.

six month celebration!

{Cupcakes from The Cup, always.}

{Her face as soon as I gave her a piece of the cupcake. I laugh every time I see this picture.} 

{Best. Ever? Maybe. She looks terrifying. The cake looks like snaggly fangs.}

Yesterday Tatum turned six months old. We'd been talking about it for days, so excited. And then, if I'm being totally honest, Josh and I both forgot about it. He left to work at his store, and Tatum and I laid down for a nap. As soon as I woke up, I remembered, so to wake her up I sang her "Happy Birthday." She was like, "About time, Mom!" She said it with her eyes.

So we texted Josh with a picture of us being fake pouty, saying something like, "It's rude to work on my half birthday." Whatever. And he came home! 

When he got here we were still being lazy girls and he said, "Get your zoo pants on!" (He meant jeans. I do not actually own designated zoo pants.) 

We had a really nice time at the zoo! (It was Tatum's first time.)

After that, we ran by the The Cup to grab a couple cupcakes: One for me, 1/4 for Tatum, 3/4 for Josh. I wasn't so sure that she would be into eating her piece, but I was totally wrong. She was all about that. As soon as I put it on the tray, she picked it up and got a maniacal look on her face (as pictured above). 

I'm crossing my fingers that she will make that face about cake for the rest of her life.

Good for me, potentially embarrassing for her.

I really loved yesterday. It was one of the best family days we've had so far. : )